Equip & Empower
Providing support for young adults to make informed decisions and set them up for success in the future.
Legally 18-year-olds are considered an adult and ideally ready to make decisions for their lives. At this point many formal support is limited but we believe that this crucial period. Supporting 18–25-year-olds is important for various reasons; this age group is in a critical period of transition from adolescence to adulthood.
During this time, young adults are making important decisions about their future, such as what career path to pursue and what educational opportunities to take advantage of.
Providing support during this period can help young adults make informed decisions and set them up for success in the future.
Young adults often face a variety of educational challenges, which include financial barriers, lack of access to resources, and difficulty navigating the educational system. Providing support during this time can help young adults overcome these challenges and gain the skills and knowledge they need to succeed.
The 18–25-year-olds group often finds themselves in the process of developing their identity and sense of self. During this time, young adults are exploring their interests and values and determining what kind of person they want to be. Providing support during this period can help young adults develop a strong sense of self and the confidence to pursue their goals.
Finally, some 18–25-year-olds face a variety of social and emotional challenges. These can include difficulty forming relationships, managing stress, and dealing with mental health issues. Providing support during this time can help young adults develop the skills and resources they need to manage these challenges and lead healthy, fulfilling lives.
Considering these challenges, the Equip and Empower project focuses on supporting ethnic minority young adults in navigating through these obstacles sometimes compounded by other factors.
Some of the factors include lower levels of English proficiency, socio-economic status, language barriers, cultural differences, and lack of access to role models in education and professional settings who look like them and share similar backgrounds, which can limit their aspirations and sense of belonging in these spaces. Addressing these challenges requires a multifaceted approach that includes policy interventions, targeted support programs, and efforts to promote diversity and inclusion in education and the workplace.
The Equip and Empower weekend residential is such targeted support program in efforts to create a more equitable, just and a prosperous community.
Educational Challenges
Focusing here on tertiary education, addressing questions such as whether to go to university or to consider alternative paths, what to study, figuring out whether your choice is right for you, rigours of studying, failing and not receiving the desired degree classification etc.
Professional Challenges
Finding employment or the right employment, struggling to find employment in a competitive job market and handling the pressures of the chosen profession etc.
Interpersonal Challenges
We tackle; communication skills, social skills, networking, issues around self – confidence etc. We provide peer-peer support and mentoring.
Societal & Financial Challenges
Managing finances and financial literacy or cultural challenges such as managing external pressure, overcoming social/cultural norms etc
“Being informed as to what the retreat would be about, I still didn’t know whether I would enjoy it but honestly it’s one of the best decisions I have made and I am so glad I took the opportunity and attended. The networking services and the information gained has further helped me navigate my future and will forever be grateful for the opportunity.”
“I really enjoyed the activities and the networking events that we had and l met so many people who were willing to help you in anything and would give you life changing advice that would help you in the future and it didn’t feel like an event with just random strangers but felt like a big family helping each other out. I really enjoyed every single minute of it.“
“The opportunity extended by wholeness and well-being on this retreat was one worth taking. In all honesty I went in hopes of experiencing great thrill and meeting new individuals however I received so much more. I underwent a journey to self-discovery and challenged myself to attempt activities that I customarily would not be inclined to doing. We collaborated to build a raft, listened attentively during the lectures, ate and delighted with being in each other’s company. I can proudly say I reaped the benefits of being on such a retreat, the overall satisfaction of being on this retreat cannot be compared.“
“The activities that we did helped me understand the importance of teamwork and helped me build trust in my teammates. I would encourage anyone that has an opportunity to partake in this event to do so as it changed my mindset completely.
“From the minute we stepped into Whitemoor Lake I knew we were going to have plenty of fun and learn a lot of new things. I have learnt different skills such as communication, teamwork, independent thinking and time management when it comes to my business…”
“Over the 3 days of the retreat, I was able to learn and take away from the experience. One of the skills I worked on, was talking in front of people, which became less difficult for me over time. I was able to meet and connect with new people from different backgrounds and ages, which allowed me to acknowledge their stories and journeys. The overall experience was positive, fun and a learning event. I would definitely do it again and recommend it to others.”